: How Does Health Care Trends?

Health care spending equates to approximately 40% of all provincial/territorial budgets, making health care the single largest expenditure (CIHI, 2015). Of this, Hospital, drug and physician expenditure

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) provides detailed information on health care expenditures in Canada, published annually in their National Health Expenditure Trends report. The 2015 report (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2015) shows total budget has increased modestly from previous years, estimating Canadian health care spending at over $219 billion which represents an increase of 1.6% from previous year (image 1: CIHI total Canadian health care spending).

When asked to describe what makes Canada unique compared to other countries, many outsiders might yell out “Hockey!” “Cold Weather!” or “Free Health Care!.” Health care is definitely one of Canada’s most noticeable trademarks when compared to the United States, but the reality is that our health care services are not what they are made out to be. Canadians tend to take pride in the fact that they have a Government funded health care system, but the system is failing at a rapid pace. One can gage the quality of health care in our country while at the emergency ward in any hospital, where most Canadians realize its downsides. The Government spends most of its budget towards health care but Canadians are not feeling an improvement. Waiting

Canada 's healthcare system is praised globally for its universal and free healthcare. It started to take shape after World War II in 1945. Health insurance was introduced and was attempted, but was not successful even though there was an increase in the spending of health related services and goods. Fast forward a few years to 1961 where Tommy Douglas, the premier of Saskatchewan, developed the idea for an all-inclusive insurance plan. He later inspired the Medical Care Act in Canada in 1967, when he pointed out health care is a right for all Canadians. From this one thought, Canada has become of the many countries with a universal health care system. Ever since Tommy Douglas sparked the idea for health care coverage, Canada is praised for the way it carries out its system because of several key features. This system is publically funded, is universal and is accessible to everyone across the nation. Because this is a public system, funding comes from the tax payers and some federal funding, so there is no extra cost for the patients. Also, being a universal system it has offered care to all Canadians, immigrants and visitors. Unlike the U.S who does not provide healthcare to its entire population because it is a private system; access depends on how much someone could afford, and how

Canada health care system is relatively low compare the United States. So why are do they have better coverage (lower infant mortality rates or higher life expectancy)?

The Federal government is responsible for insuring equal distribution and accessibility of health care services to citizens though they are not the only party that shape the policies of Canada’s healthcare but also the influence of doctors, health professionals, political parties, and businesses are also used (Canadian Stakeholders, n.d., para 2). The 1984 Canada Health Act outlines the requirements that provincial governments must meet. However; since there is not a descriptive list mentioning insurance services in the Act, the insured services in provinces vary creating a power shift (The Canada Health Act, 2005). Provinces also control the licensing of hospitals as well as doctors,

Yet the strings on the public purse continue to tighten. Transfer payments from the federal government continue to decrease as provincial debt loads increase. And, although the minister of health and the premier assured them that the costs of health care were doubling or even tripling, Albertans have witnessed a steady decline in government spending on health care. The proportion of gross domestic product, (GDP), which Alberta allocates to health care is ranked last among the ten provinces, (Taft, 1997). Albertans now find themselves with a struggling health care system and a waiting list.

In Canada, the provinces and territories provide their own universal health insurance programs. The Canadian government administers funding to the provinces and territories on a per capita basis. Furthermore, services not included in public health coverage, such as medication, dental care, vision and home care are covered by private insurance. (4). Most physicians are paid fee-for-service, are self-employed in private practices and bill provincial governments directly.

The way health care is funded in Canada and the U.S. is fundamentally different. The Canadian health care system is funded at both the

Health care is valued by many citizens in the United States and in Canada. Both countries have their own health care systems to provide coverage for citizens. Canada has basic health care coverage for all citizens through federal legislation, but not all services are covered. Additional health

The Canadian health-care model is a system that is primarily funded by the government, with service principally delivered in non-profit hospitals, by doctors who are in private practice (para). Public health-care insurance as it is known today ..... dates back to the late 1950s (quote). Over the decades since, Canada 's model has evolved into a system that ranks highly based on the quality of care that is provided (para Washington post). In a recent survey, a strong majority of Canadians were satisfied with the Canadian model. (para gallop). While most Canadians are satisfied with the current system, the publicly funded model is not without fault.

Canada has a system that consists of socialized health insurance plans that provide coverage to all its citizens. Canada health care is largely government-funded, with most services provided by private enterprises with some publicly funds all, which is controlled and administered, within guidelines set by the federal government ("Healthy Canadians: A Federal report on Comparable Health Indicators ", 2009).

One of the greatest changes in healthcare in the past ten years has been the rise of managed care, much to the displeasure of many patients and physicians alike. Managed care arose out of concern about spiraling healthcare costs and was designed to encourage physicians to give patients treatments that were cost-effective out of their own financial interests. "The consumer strategy was directed at imposing some barriers to use by levying various forms of co-insurance. The most common approaches used either deductibles (where the consumer paid the first portion of the bill a technique familiar in other types of insurance) or co-payments (where the consumer paid a portion of the bill and the insurance company the rest) or a combination of both' (Kane et al 1994). Managed care has given health insurance companies an increasingly significant voice in how treatment is administered and allocated. Managed care has proliferated in the past decade despite considerable criticism of the practice of 'nickel and diming' patients as well as the considerable bureaucratic red tape it is has generated. Also, research indicates that healthy, well-insured patients tend to over-consume care without meaningful co-pays but poorer, sicker patients can be deterred even by moderate co-payments and suffer negative health consequences (Kane et al 1994). However, managed care has not gone away and is a reality that all healthcare

The health care system of Canada practices federalism (Makarenko,2010). Federalism means the government has the power to enforce laws from the entire nation (Holz, 2013). Canada selected a universal health care insurance plan for all Canadians and immigrants. The government regulates the Medical system of Canada and funded by personal income tax, corporate income tax, sales tax, and from lottery proceeds (Candian Health Care,2008). The Canadian federal and provincial levels of government have their jurisdiction of law affecting the public (Makarenko,2010). The provincial government has a large authority governing the financing and health care delivery services to the Canadians. Although the Canadian provincial government controls the health care system, the federal government has the power to authorize in funding the system. The federal government has a list of criteria that the Canadian provincial government must adhere to receive the yearly federal funds (Makarenko, 2010).

Canada 's health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. It is publicly funded and administered on a provincial or territorial basis, within guidelines set by the federal government. Under the health care system, individual citizens are provided preventative care and medical treatments from primary care physicians as well as access to hospitals, dental surgery and additional medical services. With a few exceptions, all citizens qualify for health coverage regardless of medical history, personal income, or standard of living. In addition to public health care providers such as primary care doctors and hospitals, many private clinics offering specialized services also operate in Canada.